The Virginia Democrat addressed the National Urban League conference, assuring the audience that urban communities matter.

The conference is in Baltimore this week to address the challenges facing the city, and other cities across the country.

“A profound distance has grown up between law enforcement and communities in too many places in America, and that distance is dangerous,” the former Richmond mayor said. “It’s dangerous for the communities and it’s dangerous for our police.”

“We’ve got to get back to a fundamental principle that everybody is every community benefits when there is respect for the law, but also when everybody is respected by the law.”

Lifelong Baltimore residents Edwin and Lisa Green see hope in that message.

“He’s very optimistic about our city and it’s great that the urban league is here, to choose a city intentionally, because there’s work that needs to be done.”

An invitation extended to the Trump campaign to speak at the conference was declined.